Conspiracy (was: Re Pretty quiet around here lately)

[Tony Clark]

> Check out PCBexpress... you send Gerber Files and Excellon Drill 
> File... using only their standard 9 drill sizes, and you get a 2-side 
> PTH board with no mask or silk, at reasonable price (well its >$100 USA 
> min, but I paid $150 for the first prototypes of the PV-1 {which are 
> still available...:^)} pitch to voltage converter... and the pcb house 
> likes me cause I do commercial biz with them...)
> I haven't tried them but I will with the next projects.

   I continue my recommendation of Alberta Printed Circuits 
(www.apcircuits.com) as doing top notch (and cheap) prototypes.  Like 
PCBExpress...no solder mask or silk screen, but guarantees traces and 
spacing down to 10 mils and you get your boards in two days (really three 
if you include the one day to manufacture).
   I got 10 of my oscillator boards (the ones you saw, Harry) for about 
$130 and that was even using a few non-free drills!

   So anyone wanting to do quick and cheap boards, there are a bunch of 
companies waiting for business.  I doubt that you can really go wrong 
with any of the companies out there, I'd choose the one that is the most 
technologically capable.
   While I know that some of the fab houses my company uses to have our 
boards manufactured can do quick turn-around protos, they typically have 
a crappy record at doing anything under 20 mil trace and spacing.  Not 
that many on this list will be doing fine-line boards like I am.  But it 
is worth a consideration!  After all, it doesn't do any good to spend the 
money only to find out the proto-house botched the lot!

   I think that more often than not, it's not finding cheap PCB houses 
its getting the board designed.  ;)  When I last taught Printed Circuits, 
it took my students all quarter to design their project boards and three 
days to get them made!

   Tony

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I can't drive (my Moog) 55!         |     The E-Music DIY Archive
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Tony Clark -- clark at andrews.edu     | aupe.phys.andrews.edu/diy_archive
http://aupe.phys.andrews.edu/~clark |     Contributions welcomed!
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